Vented cooling garment

Abstract

Concepts provided are directed to garments and methods of making garments with enhanced cooling and airflow. The garments created are provided with airflow channels by lifting the garment off from the skin of a wearer. Particularly, the lift is created in areas of greater contact by providing a flocked silicone dimensional pattern aligned with a plurality of perforations. The enhanced airflow provided by the garments in accordance with aspects hereof also results in enhanced moisture evaporation from the wearer's skin, which also aids in the cooling of the wearer's body.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vented upper body garment, comprising:
 a back panel comprising an inner surface intended for contacting the skin of a user and an outer surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, a right edge and a left edge, a first region and a second region; 
 the first region comprising a first plurality of overlay film structures affixed to the back panel, each overlay film structure in the first plurality of overlay film structures having a shape, wherein the first plurality of overlay film structures are affixed to the outer surface of the back panel; 
 a plurality of perforations aligning with the first plurality of overlay film structures, each of the perforations extending through each overlay film structure in the first plurality of overlay film structures and the back panel; 
 each overlay film structure in the first plurality of overlay film structures defining a reinforcing perimeter for each of the perforations in the plurality of perforations on the back panel; and 
 a flocked silicone pattern aligned with a perimeter of each perforation in the plurality of perforations in the first region, the flocked silicon pattern extending into the second region, wherein the flocked silicone pattern is deposited on the inner surface of the back panel proximate to each of the reinforcing perimeters formed by the first plurality of overlay film structures. 
 
     
     
       2. The vented upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the flocked silicone pattern is intermittent in the first region and continuous in the second region. 
     
     
       3. The vented upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein a second plurality of overlay film structures are affixed to the inner surface of the back panel, and wherein the flocked silicone pattern is deposited on the inner surface of the back panel proximate to each of the reinforcing perimeters formed by the second plurality of overlay film structures. 
     
     
       4. The vented upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of overlay film structures and the plurality of perforations in the first region form a pattern with a length and a width ranging from 1 to 35 cm. 
     
     
       5. The vented upper body garment of  claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of overlay film structures and the plurality of perforations are uniform in size throughout the first region. 
     
     
       6. The vented upper body garment of  claim 4 , wherein a size of each of the overlay film structures in the first plurality of overlay film structures and correspondingly each of the perforations in the plurality of perforations in the first region, is gradually decreased in a direction extending from the top edge toward the bottom edge of the back panel. 
     
     
       7. The vented upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein each overlay film structure in the first plurality of overlay film structures has a length and a width ranging from 0.1 cm to 4 cm. 
     
     
       8. The vented upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein each perforation in the plurality of perforations has a length and a width that is at least 0.5 mm smaller than a corresponding overlay film structure in the first plurality of overlay film structures. 
     
     
       9. A method for constructing a vented garment, the method comprising the steps of:
 cutting a fabric panel for the garment to be functionalized; 
 cutting a desired pattern formed from a plurality of overlay film structures on a sheet of overlay film; 
 removing the unwanted portions of the overlay film from the cut pattern, leaving just the plurality of overlay film structures forming the pattern; 
 affixing the overlay film structures to a first surface of the fabric panel, the plurality of overlay film structures forming the pattern onto the fabric panel, such that a first region containing the plurality of overlay film structures and a second region without the plurality of overlay film structures are defined as a result of the affixing of the overlay film structures on the fabric panel; 
 cutting a plurality of perforations through the plurality of overlay film structures and the fabric panel in the first region; 
 depositing silicone on the first region and the second region of the fabric panel proximate to a perimeter of each perforation in the plurality of perforations in the first region, on a second surface opposite the first surface of the fabric panel; and 
 applying flock to the deposited silicone. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of perforations are made by laser cutting. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of perforations are made by die cutting. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , wherein a size of the plurality of perforations and the plurality of overlay film structures is gradually decreased, forming a gradient in a chosen direction, following the pattern. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of overlay film structures are temporarily affixed on the fabric panel prior to the cutting of the plurality of perforations, and wherein the plurality of overlay film structures are permanently affixed on the fabric panel subsequent to the cutting of the plurality of perforations. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the silicone printed proximate to the perimeter of each perforation in the plurality of perforations in the first region is intermittent and the silicone printed in the second region is solid. 
     
     
       15. A vented garment, comprising:
 at least one textile panel comprising an inner surface intended to contact the skin of a user and an outer surface, a first region and a second region; 
 the first region comprising a first plurality of overlay film structures affixed to the textile panel forming a pattern, each overlay film structure in the first plurality of overlay film structures having a shape, wherein the first plurality of overlay film structures are affixed to the outer surface of the at least one textile panel; 
 a plurality of perforations aligning with the first plurality of overlay film structures, each of the perforations extending through a center of each overlay film structure and the at least one textile panel, each perforated overlay film structure in the first plurality of perforations defining a reinforcing perimeter for each of the perforations in the plurality of perforations on the at least one textile panel; and 
 a flocked silicone pattern aligning with the reinforced perimeter of each perforation in the plurality of perforations in the first region and extending through the second region, wherein the silicone pattern is intermittent in the first region and solid in the second region, wherein the flocked silicone pattern is deposited on the inner surface of the at least one textile panel proximate to each of the reinforcing perimeters formed by the first plurality of overlay film structures. 
 
     
     
       16. The vented garment of  claim 15 , wherein a second plurality of overlay film structures are further affixed to the inner surface of the at least one textile panel prior to applying the flocked silicone pattern on the inner surface of the at least one textile panel proximate to each of the reinforcing perimeters formed by the plurality of overlay structures. 
     
     
       17. The vented garment of  claim 15 , wherein the pattern formed by the first plurality of overlay structures and the plurality of perforations in the first region has a length and a width ranging from 1 to 35 cm.